Sing for the Future
by loststolenandfound
Summary: Danny centric. Lauren and Claudine are friends. Danny has a problem, one that no one knows about. Will he reach for help and will his friends be able to save him before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi :) this is my new fic for Britannia High. This is my original idea and I'm not aware of any works that are similar to this. But if there are then please let me know and I will change mine. **_

**_Disclaimer.. I own nothing, well just some hair products and a car and like 350 pairs of earrings and tonnes of pashminas and and and... Okay more to the point I do NOT own anything that can be connected to Britannia High (except the DVD's of course!) I'm just having a little play and will give them back after I've used them. And I wont damage them too much... _**

**_The reason as to why this fic is Mrated is because there will be frequent naughty language and maybe something more. I'm not too sure where this story is headed as of yet. But we'll see. _**

**_Any suggestions and/or criticisms are most welcome! Thanks and enjoy!!_**

**_SING FOR THE FUTURE!_**

Rain splattered against the window, tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

Everyone was asleep. Or at least that's what everyone thought.

Danny was restless. He wriggled madly around on his beds and in one sudden moment lurched and kicked his duvet off of himself. It was too hot and stuffy. He couldn't sleep.

So up he got and started to put on his sweats and a t-shirt. Then he picked up his phone and silently made his way to the landing and down the stairs.

He needed to sort this. He didn't have a problem. No he was just tired, there pure and simple exhausted. One quick message, he could go pick it up, take it and come back and get a good nights sleep. Easy, no?

_Mate, need to see you. You got any of it left? I can pay. Danny._

Danny was downstairs now and got himself a drink of orange whilst he waited for the reply. He was nervous and skittish. All he wanted was a fucking reply. Argh. He was going to go mad if he didn't get one. . .

Danny waited and waited and waited and waited. What was only about 5 minutes felt like 5 whole stretched out days.

Yes… a reply!

_Bit desperate I see. Yeah, I got some left. When you want it? Can give it to you now if you want. You know where I'll be. _

Danny got up so quickly his glass of orange juice fell to the floor and shattered. But Danny didn't care, right now there was only one thing that he did care about and it wasn't Lauren who was safely asleep and tucked up in bed. Danny ran out the back door not even caring to turn back and close it when he was outside. Off Danny ran into the middle of the night.

BHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBH

One by one they all got up and then they met downstairs to have breakfast before college.

Lauren noticed the absence…they were missing the nosiest person of them all, "Hey, anyone seen Danny? Don't tell me he's still in bed?!"

"Nah, I ain't seen him at all this morning maybes he's not feeling too good." BB answered also feeling a Danny shaped hole in the room.

"Well, like, maybes, maybes he's asleep…." Lola didn't really help here…

"Okay who did this? Because they should have cleaned it up, its dangerous and not to mention absolutely disgusting." Claudine complaining as usual…she'd seen the orange juice that Danny had knocked over earlier, the remnants were scattered about the floor and the orange juice had started to dry all sticky.

"Wasn't me" said Lauren, feeling slightly accused that Claudine would think her capable of making a mess, they were meant to be friends now.

Jez, BB and Lola all denied doing it too and that left. … Danny. Of course it would have been Danny, he had the manners of a pig who had eaten beans for breakfast.


	2. Chapter 2

**_This top part before the BHBHBH... is actually the end of chapter 1.... I'm still getting used to the whole, 'upload story' bizzo so here it is. Oh and I forgot to say that the parts in italics (there are none in this chapter but there were 2 in the last chapter) are actually text messages. But I'm guessing you probably got this. Anyways heres chapter 2...there's not much drama but I need to sort out the background so you understand the situation. Please bear with me. I WILL make this story amazing (or I'll try my very best) so any suggestions would be great and thankyou to those who already have. :)_**

**_Disclaimer - I own nothing :( but no harm is wishing and dreaming. Thanks! _**

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They were all ready for another day at Britannia High, which was of course with the exception of Danny, who still had not returned.

"Maybe he just went early, you know what he's like about forgetting stuff, he probs just left some work at school and only remembered it was in today, you know he owes all the essays and seen as though Dyslexia's out of the bag he's got no excuses. We'll catch him there, yeah?" Lauren tried to convince everyone that Danny's absence was perfectly normal but she knew as well as they did that Danny would never get up to do work. Something was up and they'd have to find out!

BHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBH

Danny shivered as he ran through the dark, deserted streets, he had to get there, he needed this. He ran across the roads, through the alley behind the restaurant where Lauren worked, and carried on, past Britannia High and down into the poorer parts where rubbish could be seen to be strewn liberally across the pavement in a haphazardly mess until he reached his destination. A lamp-post and a 'biffa' bin next to a run down shed. Here, he waited and waited. He knew he was a bit early so he stood and caught his breath whilst counting out his money.

"Well, well if it isn't my boy Danny. Got some mates here to see you boy, been tellin' 'em all 'bout ya and how ya just love the stuff I got," a man had appeared from behind the shed and there were four or five more behind him.

"Hi…" mumbled Danny, feeling a little intimidated by the 5 big guys surrounding him, "Y'orite?" He cleared his throat in an attempt to not come across so nervous.

"Yeah man, we're good, but we got a favour to ask. We give you this stuff yeah? And you, you do us a job. This stuff, what we got here, will last awhile it will, longer than before, but you gotta get us more customers, so all you have to do is hop, skip, jump back to ya little playmates and offer 'em a slice, when they gobble it up you send 'em to me, we'll fix 'em up good and proper, like, you know what I mean Danny Boy?" The man moved a couple of steps forward, getting closer and closer to Danny, as he did this the other guys behind him moved in also.

"Oh yeah but remember Danny, if ANYONE finds out about this little deal we got going on here, you know what will happen, don't ya? Huh? Gunna go crying back to your mummy and daddy? You scared? Or you gunna join the big boys properly? What's it gunna be then huh?"

Danny remembered the last time. So fucking painful. Never, EVER again would he be stupid enough to let that happen, he was real lucky to be alive. He knew what he had to do but moreso he knew what he wanted to do. He wanted it. Wanted it so badly.

"I'll take it. Definitely, just quickly, I need it. Please?" By this point Danny was literally begging, showing his weakness to these guys, but Danny didn't care. He didn't give a fuck.

The guy handed him a brown, fat bag and it had got to be the sweetest thing that Danny had ever lay eyes on.

Then with that, they turned on him, not offering to even wait for the money, they pounced like a herd of hyenas. Scrabbling over each other to get to the money, they had no control, only aggression, pure and uncontrolled aggression. They kicked, scratched, punched and spat all over Danny and stole the money. They then carried Danny's limp body into the shed and together, they moved the bin in front of the door. With that they left. Job done, time to move on. They'd wait for Danny to call. They knew he would, despite their harsh treatment; he would come running back always wanting more. They knew that Danny was a drug addict.

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**_Hope you enjoyed (well at least liked where it's headed. ) Slowly but surely we'll get there! I'll update as soon as I can! (: Maybes even when I'm out the shower! _**


	3. Chapter 3

**__**

Hi thankyou all so much for the great, inspiring reviews. They've made me feel wonderful!! So heres more. Hope you like it. It's going to get better so please persevere!

**_And sadly I still don't own anything more in connection to Britannia High besides the DVD's. _**

* * *

Pain. Pain. Pain. Dark. Cold. Pain. That's all Danny could feel. His whole body ached in raw, dull throbbing stabs, he groaned. Moving was not even an option at this point. There was no way he was going to. Just when he was about to panic he realised he wasn't actually suffering. Yeah there was unreal pain but he had the perfect painkiller. Groaning with the exertion Danny groped his pockets, it had to be there, it just had to be because they wouldn't have tricked him would they? Ahh there it was. Danny lifted it from his pocket and held it up in the air near his face. He could just see it, the best sight he'd ever lay his eyes on, and all his! He took some, there and then, on the cobweb and blood covered floor whilst his body drained some more blood and tears unwillingly tipped from his eyes, but it was okay because Danny was fixed. It was with this peaceful thought that Danny fell into as peaceful of a slumber as was humanly possible for such a damaged body.

BHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBH

At Britannia High the others were in Stefan's dance class waiting for him to arrive.

"Where in the hell is he, he's gonna be late and we're going to have to lie for the idiot again! God knows where he gets off on this. I mean its not as if we don't have enough to stress about, I smudged my nails this morning picking up that stupid broken glass. When I see Danny I'm actually going to kill him." To say that Claudine was pissed was a major understatement. She was livid, Danny hadn't shown up yet just like he hadn't text any of them to actually tell them where he was!

"Deep breaths babes, your nails are not the end of the world, and they still look good." It landed on Jez to try and things over before it kicked off and seen as though Lauren was checking her phone for the 10billionth time, Lola was drooling at something in her own fluffy head and BB was doing his best street impression.

The thing was they were all trying to cover up their worry. This wasn't like Danny. He didn't do this 'no-show malarchy.' He loved everything about Britannia High because apparently it was the only thing he was good at.

BHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBH

Lunchtime came and the gang were all sitting round their normal table. Claudine was digesting her usual Caesar salad (hold everything but the lettuce) and Lola was tightly holding her diary and pink fluffy pen.

"So where's Danny?" Lola was definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed. The others groaned but they couldn't help wondering for themselves where on earth Danny actually was.

BHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBHBH

By this point, Danny had risen, painfully picking himself off of the floor from where he'd been laying for god knows how long in a blood and vomit covered heap. He moved slowly towards the door but it wouldn't open as much as he pushed and pulled, kicked and shoved the door just wouldn't budge. So here he was stuck in a shed, with his pockets and bloodstream of his already battered body filled with drugs. He felt his pockets for his phone. Yes, it was still there.

29 missed calls.

7 new voicemails.

13 new messages.

Danny opened the first three messages.

_Babe. Missed you this morning. We were going to wait but Claudine nearly had kittens when she saw the mess you'd left. You're in for it. Hope you're okay. See you at school, love you xxxxxxx (_Lauren)

_Oi, Danny boy. Where are ya? Catching up on work for Anna. Dyslexia won't save you. Laters yeh? _(BB)

_You are dead. _(Claudine)

Okay, he was in trouble, but before he could even face the music he had to get out of this fucking stinky as shit shed!

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**_Okay seriously guys and girls this story is going to get tonnes better!!! I still need to set the scene. I should be there in another chapter. Until then all I can hope is that you still like where it is headed. More action to come tomorrow hopefully. And if it doesn't it's because I'm reading other peoples stories and seeing how they do their dialogue. You see I'm not one who likes to go, "he said" "she said" etc. Any tips? Thanks for reading!!! _**


	4. Chapter 4

Signal. Signal. That's all Danny wanted. He needed to get out of here, it was way too stuffy for his liking and there was not even any room to dance and do his thing! But as hard as he tried he couldn't get the door of the shed to open and his only other option was to call somebody. God knows how he was going to explain this one.

_Finally, 1 bar of signal, let's just hope that's enough_ Danny thought.

But who to call? There's no way Jez would even know of where to find this place. BB would definitely know but Danny couldn't risk him telling Jez. Claudine wouldn't get her heels mucky and Lola probably hadn't even realised he was missing. That left Lauren but he didn't want her to find out about this, she was his girlfriend and he couldn't ruin this. Things were going far too well, they'd settled the whole Claudine business, finally and now those two were even beginning to get on. But as much as Danny didn't want to call Lauren he knew deep down that he had to.

_Just make the fucking call Danny. You'll have bags of time to think of a good reason as to why you're beaten and locked in a shed, covered in your own vomit with your pockets full of illegal substances. It's cool and hey, you can just flash her your thousand watt smile and pull out your best moves. It'll be right._

Before he could change his mind Danny hit speed dial 1.

_Calling Lauren x_

_Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring _

_Great, when I finally decide to call, she doesn't pick up. Could this day get any worse? _

Danny kicked the wall, over and over and over, then slowly he fell to the ground and let tears of exasperation and pain to slowly crawl down his cheeks. He was stuck. Nobody knew where he was. Nobody was going to save him.

Then he remembered.

How could he forget? The solution had been in his pocket the entire time. So Danny popped it out (only dirty minds would follow my innuendo here haha) and lay it on the grimey floor. He took it and as soon as he had he felt it moving through his bloodstream, in those thick veins, the wonderful substance roamed and fixed all of his problems, for now.

He'd try Lauren again later but for now he would just sit and relax in the corner of the bug infested shed and enjoy the sensation of being comforted by his best and only true friend, the one that was always there for him, the one he could always count on, cocaine.


	5. Chapter 5

_**I am so so so so so so so sorry for the longest wait ever! I know what it's like ot be waiting and waiting on an update and eventually you give up checking. That's happened to me with a story called 'Careless' about Lord of the Rings =[ Gutted tbh. Anyways I'm quite happy with this chapter but I will be making them longer in the future. I also feel I owe you an explanation as to why you've had to wait so long… my mum set off for Vietnam a few days ago to do a sponsored bike ride for breast cancer from Saigon to Cambodia. She has been really ill and I've been helping her pack and such. Thankyou so much for your kind reviews they've all been so awesome and inspiring!**_

_**I own nada… **_

Free. He was flying, soaring and leaping through the air. All he could feel was the wondrous sense of liberty and he could almost taste the green meadows beneath him. It was bliss. What a contrast to reality: where he was actually lying in a semi-unconscious state with his limbs tangled in a heap and sweat dripping off his body. He was like a warmed up micro waved corpse. It was both heaven and hell.

Part of Danny was aware that this drug wouldn't flow through him forever, and he could use the rest of his stash but after that he would have to contact them again and if this is what happened this time who knows what they might do to him the next. He knew the sensation of need so well that's why Danny was so aware that with need came desperation and desire. One trip led to the desire for another and another after that, so creating a seemingly endless cycle of drug taking.

Danny soon came out of his drowsy state and realised that he had been in this shed for over half a day! So it was with that that he grudgingly and half heartedly took his phone from his pocket and dialed that dreaded number…

_Calling Lauren x_

_Ring Ring Ring Ri-_

"Danny where the hell are you? I mean you didn't come in today and then you're not at home when we get here. What are you playing at? Are you okay? I mean nothings happened has--" Lauren was nearly hyperventilating when Danny interrupted her.

"Lauren I'm really sorry. Look I need you to do something for me okay babe? Please?"

"Danny why should I? I mean are you okay? You're not hurt or anything…?"

"Nah you know me, always in perfect condition, but I do need you to do me a favour and I wouldn't ask unless I was desperate. Please?"

"Fine. What do you want me to do? I mean of course you can copy my notes as long as you talk AND type."

"Haha…yeah nice one there Lauren. Look I know that this is going to sound completely random but you have to listen to me real carefully. You know that pub…opposite to the pub that's just down the road from BB's? Well can you go there and then call me and I'll tell you where to go next?"

"I can't believe this Dan. You're asking me to go to that part of town by myself and wait on a street corner outside of a load of drunks until you call me. You're so unbelievable."

"Lauren please. You know I wouldn't ask if it was important. You just have to do this for me. I'll be waiting." And with that Danny clicked off the call. He couldn't be done with that type of conversation. It was too much in this state. Lauren would come and help him, she may not be too thrilled about what he was asking her to do but she would.

_1 new message _

_Lauren x_

_Danny, I don't know where the hell you've been or what you've been doing but when I see you; you will tell me. I'll be there as soon as I can. _

So it was with that that Danny rested his head against the side of the shed and closed his eyes. He honestly didn't know what he was going to tell Lauren but he'd just think of something when she saw him. She'd probably have her own suggestion of what had happened to him and he'd nab that idea and simply wing it after that. He'd deal with Claudine and the others later. But all he was going to concentrate on now was enjoying the drugged up state he was in.

_**Okay well I sure hope you enjoyed that. Like I said before I'm really sorry about the wait. I didn't intend it to be this long before I updated but life has been crazy of late. We're finally at the point where I wanted us to be. So it's only up from here.**_

_**I know some people already want more interaction and scenes between Danny and Lauren and I'm more than happy to do that. But if you have any more ideas or things you want included let me know and I'll try and wangle them into the story. Thankyou so much for reading and reviewing. You're stars. Hopefully it wont be as long until my next update!!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**I'm sorry but here it is. Enjoy! Especially all those that reviewed and **_britanniahighfan104 _**I will do all I can to finish this story by April because you've been fantastic and I owe it to you for waiting so long! I can't promise that I will but I do promise I'll give it my best shot!**_

Lauren grabbed her bag and headed to the door of the flat. She'd told everyone that she was just going to do a shift at the restaurant. They'd all seemed to believe her so everything was okay. Thank god because it seemed that Danny really didn't want this advertising. Lauren walked quickly through the streets in the dusk light, people were milling about and simply doing their everyday things, Lauren's head was down in a bid to make herself walk faster. She didn't know why because Danny hadn't asked her to rush but she just a had a feeling that he needed her now more than ever and to hell if she was going to let him down after everything they'd been through.

Finally she arrived at the lane and headed quickly down towards the pub.

_Calling Danny_

_Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring … _

"_Hi you've reached Danny. Well my voicemail. Sorry fans I'm not available at the moment, I have a girlfriend but I also can't take your call. Haha. Sorry. I'll give ya a bell back though if you're lucky."_

Lauren fumed. Irritated that he hadn't picked up. She was here now and wasn't prepared to let the journey past the drunks be for nothing so she tried again.

_Ring Ring Ring Ring Ri—_

"Lauren, babe, I'm sorry I dropped my phone, missed your call. Where are you?" Danny lied because he hadn't dropped his phone he just hadn't heard it through the ringing in his head and the only reason he knew that she was calling was because he'd seen his phone light up.

"Danny. I'm where you asked me to be. Where are you? Enough of these games." Lauren was fed up but still had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that something bad had happened.

"I know this sounds crazy but do you see the shed just behind the bins? Well I need you to head towards it. Then move the bin away from the door. Okay?" Danny knew Lauren would catch what this meant.

"Danny please don't tell me that you're locked in the shed." She felt like laughing but the inkling of a bad feeling wouldn't let her because she knew instinctively that something had happened: for one Danny couldn't shut himself in a shed and then move the bin infront of the door and lock himself on the inside.

So that was why Lauren walked up to the shed and pushed the sticky edges of the dirty bin away from the door. Biffa Bins are heavier than they look that's for sure!

Danny picked himself up off the floor and waited for the door to open and reveal his stresshead girlfriend Lauren who although was fantastic and gorgeous but also very niggly and needed to assess every little detail. He knew what he was going to have to do and that was that he would have to tell her everything. He just hoped that she would still want to know him by the end of it!

But was that just wishful thinking?

_**Welllllll. I'm really sorry again for the late updates and THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THE AMAZING WORDS IN YOUR REVIEWS.**_

_**I once again feel that I should give reason as to why my updates have taken so darn long and that is because life has still been hectic as I just got my A2 results (the second last exams you ever do in England- the last are A2 but they're in May/June. And I basically failed everyone. ): So I haven't really been in the mood to write ): I'm really sorry and to make it up to you the next chapter will be here on your screens…………...**_

_**(: (: TOMORROW (: (:**_


	7. Chapter 7

The door opened slowly with a creak and Lauren peered into the dark shed.

There he was, Danny, his skin covered in bruises, his clothes covered in blood and Lauren had to cough because of the rancid smells that assaulted her nose.

"Danny…"

Danny looked at Lauren, he knew it stunk in here and that he was probably more than a sore sight to see but he didn't care because he could smell the fresh air and it was good, he could go home and get a good wash and then sleep with a little help of his friends, the substances still in his pocket, the ones that had comforted him during the day that he'd spent in the shed.

"Lauren, look I know what this seems but it was just a couple of guys didn't agree with me and thought it would be fun to do this. I'm sorry you had to come all the way out here." Danny tried to reason with Lauren because he really didn't want to give away his secret.

But what Danny didn't realise was that Lauren could tell what had happened and how his pupils were dilated, the sweat that ran in torrents down his face, the way his body shivered and shook seemingly involuntarily and the slight sway in his stance as he attempted to stand normally and pretend there was nothing wrong.

Danny stumbled slightly as he exited the shed and as soon as he was in the evening light cast by the lampposts Lauren could see fully the extent of what had happened to Danny.

"Danny are you okay? What did they do to you? God I can't believe this!" Lauren said distraught at the sight of her worse for wear boyfriend.

"Yeaaaa Lauren I'm fine alright. Look I'm just tired but hey, I'm alright okay?"

So it was with that that the two set off very slowly in the direction of the flat. Lauren held one of her arms around Danny's waist in order to keep him upright as he was listing slightly to the left.

After an hour or so which was much longer than it should have taken to get back but because of Danny's state they'd had to walk very slowly they arrived back at the flat and Lauren started to put her key in the door just as the door opened from the other side.

_**Sorry this chapter is so short, that seems to happen a lot. ): **_

_**Next chapter : Others see Danny**_

_**Things are said in the heat of the moment**_

_**Will it all be too much for one of them?**_

_**Update: Should be soon but I'm sorry I can't guarantee. **_

_**Thanks: For reading! **_


	8. Chapter 8

_**First of all I owe you, every one of you, a HUGE sorry. Okay I know that it sounds that I'm just making excuses up after I have made you promises but really this time it's not my fault that the last chapter was so late. It was actually because it wouldn't let me upload it but now I've succeeded and so that's why I'm going to write the next chapter right now to make up for the wait. I'm really, really, really sorry ): Hope this makes up for it and lives up to your expectations.**_

_**Also I still own nothing ):**_

Jez and BB were heading out to go back to BB's to get some more of his games for the Xbox and had just started to open the door when it began opening.

Lauren pushed the door open and saw BB and Jez, she tightened her grip on Danny's hand, she didn't want him to get any ideas that he could just run away from this, but nor did she want him to think that he was alone. She gently tugged him forward and led him in to the house past BB and Jez who were stood, mouths gaping, looking in shock at Danny's bruised and cut face.

"What the hell happened to you?" Jez asked: shocked at the appearance of his had-been-missing friend.

BB shut the door realizing that this was not the time to leave and headed towards Danny who'd gone to sit on the couch whilst Lauren got him some ice from the kitchen.

"Danny? Danny? Anybody in there? Dan?" Jez waved his hand in front of Danny's face still getting no response. He conceded his efforts when Lauren came back into view.

"Lauren, what the hell happened?"

Lauren walked towards Danny and put the ice in his hand and then gently took his hand moving it to rest on his head. Then she looked at Danny "Dan, you gonna tell them, you know they'll find out, you want me to?"

"Look to be completely honest it's not any of your business. Thanks for coming Lauren but I don't need you, or BB or you Jez so all of you just leave me the fuck alone." Danny had been here for like 2minutes and he was already sick of the very unwanted attention that he was receiving. Thank god Claudine and Lola weren't here he couldn't be done for Slag or Stupid at the moment. Not once did it dawn on Danny just how unfair he was being because all he could think about was his companion in his pocket and the idea of the perfect release that awaited him and could save him from the prying, snooping eyes of these idiots.

So it was with that that Danny took himself and his ice upstairs and slammed the door, hard.

"What's going on?" Claudine had heard voices downstairs and had been debating whether or not to go down but when she heard the door to Danny's room slam her mind was made up. She headed downstairs and took in the sight below her. BB, Jez and Lauren were all stood staring at each other, mouths open in shocked expressions and as she looked closer she noticed a small patch of blood on the couch next to where Lauren was sitting.

Lauren looked up hearing Claudine's voice, "Nothing. Well it's Danny. I don't know."

Just as Claudine was about to say that she must have a clue as to what was going on with her own boyfriend Lola came running down the stairs in a tizz. "Guys what are you doing? There's somebody in Danny's room, "Did you not hear him, he slammed the door, really loud?"

"Babes, it was Danny, quit panicking alright, there aren't any burglars!" Jez said attempting to calm Lauren down.

Claudine moved closer to Lauren, taking a better look at the patch of blood, "Who's blood is that?"

Lauren glanced down and for the first time noticed the blood left from where Danny had just been sitting, "Oh it's Dan's…"

BB then assaulted Lauren with questions as to where Danny had been, where she had found him and why he was all bashed in, Lauren could only shake her head, she knew that Danny had promised her that what he was saying to her had been the truth but there was still a big part of her that simply didn't believe him.

Without answering Lauren headed upstairs and knocked twice on Danny's bedroom door. Then she walked in and saw something that she didn't expect to.

Danny was sat crouched in the far corner of his room staring intensely at a small item in his hand, he had his sleeve rolled up and looked near to be injecting himself. That's when it clicked.

"WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING DAN?" Lauren was fuming, how did he dare do this, put her through this, this is where he'd been all night. Doing drugs.

Danny didn't answer, it almost seemed like he didn't hear her, but everyone else did and came racing upstairs to join Lauren standing at the door of Danny's room staring in complete bewilderment at the shadow of the boy who they'd once known. This was not him, this was just a shell of Danny because the Danny they all knew wouldn't be sitting with a tear trickling down his cheek and pupils the size of golf balls in his once clear eyes.

Lauren ran to Danny and slapped him hard across the face, what was he playing at, since when did he do drugs, why… So many questions ran through each of their heads at that moment as they all watched Lauren burst in to tears pleading with Danny to confess all his secrets to her. BB walked towards Lauren and pulled her way from Danny whilst Jez moved closer and crouched down looking into Danny's eyes, he slowly reached out and put one hand under his chin, lifting Danny's head slowly and gently up to face him so that he could inspect the cuts and bruises. Claudine left to go and get Danny and Lauren a drink, Lola just stood in the centre of the room watching her friends comfort Lauren and protect Danny, what she realised though, is that they no longer were protecting Danny from the onslaught of Lauren's violent administrations but from the world, the one which had led him to the dark place where he had faded, slowly, unmoving and without a sound into a void where nobody was able to tell him that everything was going to be okay.

_**Bit of a longer chapter, hope you liked it, I personally thought it was quite dark but I loved writing it. Sorry again for the late delays and the incredibly shortness of the last chapter, to be honest I'm ashamed at the length of chapter 7. But very happy with this one and I hope you are too!! (: **_


	9. Chapter 9

_**As always I own nothing in connection with Britannia High … apart from the DVDs of course!!**_

_**Here it is … the next chapter!! Whoooooo! Exams are done. Kapow! .. That's right. Kapow!** :) _

Danny didn't know what to do. So he did nothing. He just sat there whilst the world continued to revolve, whilst people outside of his four wall prison went about their daily lives, whilst his friends watched him silently. He couldn't think of anything other than the one thing that caused all of this, the thing that got him beaten up, the thing that got him locked in a shed over night, and the one thing that ironically would help him wake from this nightmare.

He knew drugs were a bad idea. Danny wasn't stupid. He knew that he could beat the drugs just like he beat dyslexia but the thing was; he was tired of fighting. Danny spent everyday trying to get closer to his dream and each step of the way was agonizingly slow and painful. Dancing was the only thing he was truly good at and he had to prove he was good enough to give his parents reason to let him continue going to Britannia High. The drugs? Well they helped him. Danny reasoned to himself that drugs were the answer, they made him high enough to have the energy to practice and perfect all of his dances and yet they made him tired enough to sleep. He never intended on becoming addicted.

So as he sat on the floor, forced to lock eyes with Jez he realised something, these people were the reason he was like this. If they weren't all perfectionists he wouldn't have gotten the idea in to his head that he had to be one as well because there wouldn't be any competition.

"Get out." Danny's voice was eerily calm and made the hairs on the back of Jez's neck stand up. Never before had he heard a voice so empty of emotion and yet known that emotion was the one thing fuelling it.

"I said GET THE HELL OUT! NOW!" His patience has snapped. He had asked nicely and yet nobody had complied. What Danny didn't realise, however, was that "Get out" wasn't a question. He could barely think because of the constant ringing in his head that was not helped by the pains in his chest, presumably the result of a few bruised ribs, and he just wanted to be left alone.

"Leave me alone. Please Jez I'm fine. Okay? I just need to be alone." Danny tried to reason with Jez, begging him with his eyes, silently praying that they would all leave and he could be alone.

But the truth was that Danny would never be alone. Not with _that. That _innocent little thing that sat in his hands, staring up at him, taunting him. Offering a peace. An escape. Freedom.

Jez couldn't move. He tried. He did. He wanted to move. Both closer towards Danny to tell him that everything was going to be okay and away from Danny, back to where Lola and BB stood with Lauren a safe distance away from the anger and pain emanating from their friend. He could see the slick layer of sweat that covered his skin. He saw the way Danny shivered and flinched at the sound of his own voice. He knew that the best thing to do was to sit with Danny and talk to him about everything that had happened and discover the reason why he had turned to drugs but right then, at that moment in time, Jez made a fatal error of judgment and stood up slowly. He gave Danny what could be described as a pitying look even though it was meant to be sympathy. But in Danny's eyes it was exactly the opposite of what he had wanted Jez to do.

The drugs were the thing screaming for Danny to be left alone. Danny, himself, was screaming for them to stay, for them, his friends, to tell him that it was all going to be okay. That everything would work out. That they would help him. That he didn't need the drugs to make him perfect because he was good enough already the way he was.

At least that's what he wanted to say. He never had the chance. Because as soon as Jez stood up the shutters in Danny's mind came down. As far as he was concerned he hadn't made the decision. They had. It was their fault. They were meant to be his friends but then what the hell did they care?! No no they were just going to go back to doing the same old thing, school, rehearsing, joking and laughing. Probably at his expense too.

So Danny just stayed sitting. In exactly the same position as before. And watched as Jez moved closer to Lauren and put his arm, reassuringly on her shoulder, probably as a sign of saying that everything was going to be okay. As a way of protecting her from the monster crouched in the corner of the room.

"Danny do you really want us to leave? We will if that's what you want but I'd rather not. I just want to know what's going on with you? We all do. Something's obviously up. Please? Dan … talk to me." Lauren looked at Danny. Her eyes were still crying tears for the pain that the boy she loved felt. She hadn't meant to slap him. She knew in the long run it wouldn't have done any good. Physically paining him more would only push him further away from her. He was already in pain and he needed a way of escaping it and overcoming it. She just wanted to hold him tightly. Ruffle his curly hair. Tell him that it was all going to be okay.

She didn't want it to fade away: be forgotten about like her neuralgia paresthetica. Nobody seemed to notice she had it anymore. She did though. She could never forget. Not like they could. She could never ignore the tingling sensation that ran down her thigh, she could never forget the burning and the way that sometimes she woke in the night with a sharp stabbing pain that took a few agonizing minutes to subside. She hated the drugs that Danny was holding onto as if they were the only thing keeping him alive at the time as much as she hated her peripheral nerve – the one that ruined her dancing. The one that made everything she did seem only good enough. Never perfect. Never great. Just thinking about how much she wanted to help Danny made another round of tears come to her eyes and it was in that moment that she too, like Jez, made a mistake.

She decided that the worst thing to do at the time would be expose Danny to other people who had their own problems. She didn't think that he needed to see her cry because _lets face it_ she thought _it's not like he's going to come over here and comfort me. _So she turned and walked away. Turning her back on the one person she always thought she could turn to. With each step she took she made the distance between them that little bit bigger. Lola glanced at Danny and immediately decided where her loyalties lay. So she too followed Lauren out of the room, prepared to offer her shoulder for her to cry on, but not before she said to Danny, "I'm here if you want to talk babes."

BB and Jez were left alone with Danny. Not knowing whether they should stay or go. The awkward silence was broken just a moment later when Claudine appeared holding two drinks.

"Okay. I don't normally serve people so you had better be grateful …" Claudine's voice died as she realised that Lauren had left with Lola and that she was now stood, a part of the awkward silence, surrounded by seemingly unbreakable tension.

"Here you go Dan. I'll just go give Lauren hers." Claudine mumbled quickly to Danny and then high-tailed it out of the room. As soon as she got in to the hall she stopped to think. She shouldn't have done that. She should have stayed with him. Helped him fix things. Helped him make everything okay again. She knew she shouldn't have left like Lauren and Lola had but honestly she didn't think that she could handle it. She just wanted everything to go back to how it was.

_I hope BB and Jez don't leave_. Claudine thought to herself as she knocked on Laurens door and went in.

_Then there were three. Funny that._ Jez's mind ran in circles. _It wouldn't surprise me if I thought of the three musketeers' right about now. Stop Jez. Stop_. Jez wished that he had left with Claudine. Wished that he had the courage to go to Danny and take the drugs right out of his hands and make the problem go away. Make everything better. But instead Jez tore his eyes away from Danny and looked to BB. Hoping to find an answer there, in those wise eyes, the eyes that belonged to the boy who won the street dancing, freestyled with ease, and joked about with him on the school radio.

BB felt Jez's on him and so turned to meet his friends questioning gaze. 'Should we go or should we stay?' BB had no answered. He wanted to stay but not as much as he wanted to leave.

"Dan. Look mate. Talk to us. Just, I dunno, you don't even have to tell us about the drugs, even though that would be good." _Really BB would that be good? If talking to your angry drug addicted friend about why he loves drugs so much sounds good then I think I'll leave you to it to be honest. _Jez thought to himself.

"I told you twice. I won't tell you again. Get the fuck out of my room. You understand or are you too thick? Bet that's why you chose dancing. Yeah you might be good at it and all but you obviously just didn't have any other options. And you, you Jez, living it up in daddy's mansion, yet you lied to everyone, told us all you were skint, that you NEEDED dancing, truth is, you don't know fucking anything about needs. You think your life is so bad. You wallow in self pity. Well you know what. I sure as hell don't need that. I DON'T NEED ANY OF YOUR FUCKING PROBLEMS"

Danny's voice had risen, as had he, he was no longer on the floor like a coward. No he was on his feet, his own two feet, standing tall, facing the things that caused him to be where he was at that particular moment. He didn't miss the shock that came over his friends faces. He didn't miss the gasps and then eerie silence in Laurens room that was the girls reactions. And he did care. He honestly hadn't those things. But something made him say it. And by saying it he started to wonder if it was the truth.

Whether they were the problem and so, it was with another 'calm after the storm' tone of voice that he said, "And I don't need any of you. Now leave."

And then he advanced upon them with a death stare making BB and Jez think that that their friend was demented. He came closer and closer to them moving slowly as if his feet weren't able to carry him the distance across the room any faster.

At that point BB and Jez left the room. Left their friend. Left him with _that_. Left him alone.

Alone. Danny had wanted to be alone the entire time that he had had company and yet as soon as he was alone it was the one thing that he did not want. He wanted company. He didn't want to be alone. And that was when he realised that he could never be alone: as long as his trusty friend was by his side to tell him that everything was going to be okay.

So Danny moved towards his bed and sank down. About to find an escape from the world, the one which had led him to the dark place where he had faded, slowly, unmoving and without a sound into a void where it was the only thing able to tell him that everything was going to be okay.

_**WOW. I LOVED writing that chapter! (: I hope this makes up for how long I've left you without a chapter and story to read (: I finished my LAST SCHOOL EXAM EVER a few hours ago and couldn't wait to write more of this story. I actually found it hard to get back into it ): But it's okay, never fear, because my brain is still here. Its survived school for the past 14 years and I'm sure it will continue to live on and hopefully help me write some more stories!! (: Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it!! Always a pleasure and I love every one of you pure legends!!! (: (: (: (: (: xx**_


	10. Author's Note

*peeks through door knowing that they're scary people inside who have waited and waited for an update for years and they're all supermad with the naughty storywriter.*

Hello! Is anybody still here?

Seriously now, I have dragged myself here to offer you all the most SINCERE apology for being so terrible with writing this story. The truth is that I've simply not thought about Britannia High in a long, long time butttttttttt saying that, I love this story and I love how loved this story was by all of you wonderful reviewers and readers.

So I'm not going to be daft and say that I'll update within a certain time frame but I will say this, one day I will return to this fic and do it the justice it deserves.

So I would love for you all to keep your eyes peeled for whenever it is updated and let me know what you think, even if it is just to shout abuse at me, hah actually please don't do that! ; )

Hope all of you lovely folk are well and don't hate me too much for abandoning this fic in so long.

Thanks again for all of the amazing reviews of this story, they do give me a warm and fuzzy feeling of accomplishment,

Love lsaf x


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